


between the lines

by ryleewrites



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-21
Updated: 2017-09-24
Packaged: 2018-12-18 03:08:09
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,762
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11865390
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ryleewrites/pseuds/ryleewrites
Summary: Regina Mills is a widely feared teacher at Storybrooke High, and Emma Swan is distraught that she has to deal with the 'Evil Queen' in her last semester of high school. She's upset, that is, until she comes face to face with the woman.(student/teacher au)





	1. the calm before the storm

**Author's Note:**

> this is my first attempt at any sort of fanfiction and i have no beta reader so please don't hesitate to give me advice.
> 
> ill be trying to post a new chapter every sunday, feedback is much appreciated!

Emma sat up violently in her bed, instantly whacking the top of her head onto the wooden frame of the bunk above her. Each blare of her alarm was hitting her head like a hammer. Moving her left hand to the now slightly raised spot on the top of her head, she used her right hand to silence the offending alarm clock. 

 

She couldn’t believe that winter break was over already. It seemed like just yesterday she and Lily were high fiving as they exited their last semester 1 exam. And yet, now, here she was, about to start a whole new semester. She thanked the gods that it was her last one (if she passed all of her classes of course). Honestly, she would be lying if she said she never doubted her ability to graduate.

 

Emma had been forced to repeat her sophomore year, after flunking both her required math and science courses. She hadn’t cared much about school though. At the time, she had just been placed into the latest in a long line of terrible foster homes, and this new “family” had been at the forefront of her worries. Thankfully, though, after Emma reported their cruelty, the system did its job and moved her, along with the other three children in the home, to a new place of residence. 

 

The Nolan’s had been the most welcoming foster family yet. They had no quells when they learned that Emma would be repeating her sophomore year. They didn't call her stupid or look down at her. They showed only the most sincere sympathy for her situation and encouragement for her future. They treated their other foster children with the same genuine love. Emma had moved in with them at the age of sixteen, along with the other kids from the last home, Ruby, Aurora, and August. They all were beyond grateful for the Nolan’s kindness. Henry, on the other hand, had been living with them as a foster child before the others came. He was shy at first, but he had quickly gotten used to the idea of foster siblings. And then, of course, there was the newby, Roland. The Nolans had just taken him in this year. They had become the closest thing Emma had ever had to a family, and she was thankful for them.

 

Emma was eighteen now, and entering her final semester of highschool. Storybrooke High had been an easy adjustment, and she was doing exceedingly well in all of her classes. And, since the school’s run on blocked scheduling (four classes in the fall and four in the spring), she only had four classes left before she would officially graduate. 

 

The screeching of the alarm pulled Emma out of her thoughts.  _ Stupid snooze button,  _ she thought, her hand moving to shut it off before she even knew what she was doing. She swung her feet over the side of the bed, finding herself face to face with a grumpy Ruby. 

 

“I hate school,” the brunette with red streaks in her hair (a new addition to her look that Aurora had been keen to help add) stated bluntly, tossing her comforter to the side. Emma chuckled at the pure annoyance in her voice.

 

“Oh, come on, Rubes. It’s not so bad. We start a whole new semester today!” Aurora retorted while climbing down from her bunk above Ruby’s, bubbly as always. The two of them had always been close, having been in the previous home together for an extended period of time before Emma had arrived. They were close in age as well. Ruby was a sophomore this year and would be turning sixteen in a month, while Aurora was a freshman, and had just turned fifteen in November. Emma’s heart warmed as she watched red streaks and caramel waves leave the room. She was so glad that they had settled in well. August, on the other hand, was still struggling to trust people. Emma peered up into the bunk above hers, coming face to face with the droopy-eyed redhead. 

 

“Up and at'em sleepy-head,” she said, pulling the covers off of the boy. 

 

“Hey!” August exclaimed in protest, before reluctantly climbing out of bed. Emma swore she heard him mumble a couple curse words under his breath as he too left the room, but she let it slide. She knew that there was no use arguing with a middle schooler, and at the age of thirteen and in seventh grade, August was at the peak of his middle school phase. Emma merely shook her head before turning to the final bunk. Henry was already awake and sitting up. As a fourth grader, the brunette nine-year-old was still very much excited for school. He not only loved going to class at Storybrooke Elementary, but he did well in every subject.

 

“Morning, Emma,” he said with a lopsided smile. 

 

“Goodmornin’ kid,” she said in response, ruffling his hair before nudging him towards the door as an indicator that he needed to get ready. He took her cue and bounded towards the bathroom. Finally, Emma turned her attention towards the small sleeping form on the bunk above Henry’s. Roland may be the newest foster kid in the house, but everyone loved him with all of their hearts. He was just about as cute as they come. He had no trouble getting acclimated to the house or making new friends in his first grade class.  _ I guess six-year olds are pretty resilient,  _ she thought to herself. She then nudged him awake, attempting to get him up.

 

“Let’s go, Roly Poly. Time for school,” she said softly. At the mention of school, Roland’s eyes immediately shot open. He had really missed seeing his friends every day over the break. She couldn't help but laugh at his mad scramble to get out of bed and get ready. 

 

Emma sat back down on her bed for a moment, taking a deep breath, before standing again and stripping off the boxers and sweatshirt she wore as pajamas. She snagged a pair of dark wash skinny jeans out of her drawer, and a white tank top from the crate of shirts under her bed, before grabbing her signature red jacket out of the closet. She shook her head at her appearance.  _ Never much creativity, huh,  _ she thought with a hum before shrugging her shoulders and zipping on her black boots. 

 

As the other kids made their way back into the room to get changed, Emma went into the bathroom. After running a brush through her hair and applying her daily regime of mascara and concealer, she brushed her teeth and headed downstairs. 

 

“Mmm… breakfast smells wonderful, Mary Margaret,” the blonde said to her foster mother, grabbing a piece of toast from the plate and lathering it with jam. The brunette woman set the plate of toast on the table, before thanking Emma. 

 

“I try my best,” she joked, reaching into the fridge to get the drinks. Emma helped her get the peanut butter, butter, and jam on the table, along with orange juice and apple juice, just as the kids began pouring down the stairs. All five took a seat at the table and dug in. While they were eating, and Emma and Mary Margaret were nursing their cups of cocoa, David made his way downstairs. He grabbed his thermal of coffee and kissed Mary Margaret goodbye. He then waved goodbye to his foster children before heading to work at the sheriff’s station. At first, Emma had been hesitant to have a law enforcement officer as a foster father, but David was one of the most kindhearted men she had ever met, and he was a great father figure to the other kids.

 

A glance at the clock told her that it was time to leave, so she washed her mug, set it in the dishwasher, and grabbed her backpack from the cubbies in the mudroom. She then returned to the kitchen and gave Mary Margaret a brief hug goodbye before turning towards the table.

 

“Alright big kids, time to head out. You’ve got 5 minutes before this train leaves the station,” she said with a smile, before going out to her car. The yellow bug was her prized possession. It had been a gift to her from David and Mary Margaret for her eighteenth birthday. The only catch was that, since they had paid for the car, she had to take the older kids to and from school every day. Henry and Roland were not a problem for Mary Margaret, since she taught third grade at Storybrooke Elementary and had to be there for work anyway. The older kids, on the other hand, had been a hassle for the past few years, and having Emma drive them was a huge relief.

 

The blonde heard the word ‘shotgun’ yelled from the front door and couldn’t help but chuckle at the sight of August racing towards the passenger side door of her bug. Seconds later, the mildly annoyed faces of Ruby and Aurora emerged from the house and made their way to the backseat. 

 

“You snooze; you lose,” August said, matter of factly from his position in the front seat as Emma pulled away from the house. The entire ride to Storybrooke Middle School was filled with arguments over whether or not August should even be able to call shotgun, since he was only thirteen, and Ruby and Aurora were both fifteen. The argument still wasn’t over when they dropped the red-headed boy off at school, and he stuck his tongue out at the girls in the back seat after he had closed the door.

 

“He’s a pain in the ass,” Ruby stated, still glaring at him as the bug pulled away from the building and made its way toward the high school.

 

“Ruby,” Emma warned, shooting her a look in the rearview mirror. The brunette muttered a half hearted apology, and it was all Emma could do not laugh at her pettiness. Aurora, however, couldn’t resist the giggle that escaped her lips. 

 

“Rubes, it’s just a seat,” the caramel-haired girl said with a laugh. And, despite her best efforts not to, Ruby couldn’t help but crack a smile. 

 

The yellow beetle pulled into the Storybrooke High parking lot ten minutes early and the girls piled out of the car. Emma waved goodbye to them as they headed to the wing of the school where most underclassmen courses were held, calling out that she would see them at 2:30. Once she was in a part of the hallway where people weren’t going to trample her, the blonde paused and pulled out her cellphone, looking at the class schedule she had taken a picture of. 

 

Emma was beyond thankful that she had taken AP Calculus and AP Physics last semester, as those were her hardest classes this year. She had also taken AP Spanish and Gym already in the fall, but she had passed those classes without a problem. Now, this semester, she had Art, AP English, AP Government, and AP Psychology, in that order.  

 

The blonde made her way to the Art wing, to the room number on her schedule, as the first warning bell rang out, and took a seat in the back of the class. This was supposed to be her easiest class this semester, and she hoped it would be. Relief flooded her body as her teacher entered the room. Ms. Triton was said to be the best of the teachers that the art department had to offer. After the second bell rang, the redheaded teacher cleared her throat and the room fell silent.

 

“Hello class. My name is Ms. Triton, but you can call me Ms. T if you would prefer. I am going to hand out your updated class schedules in a moment. These have your teacher’s names on them, not just room numbers, so you’ll know what you are getting yourselves into. After I give these to you, I am going to give you all the period to draw, just so I can get a grasp on what your artistic capabilities are,” she said with a smile. 

 

Emma anxiously awaited her new schedule. She new from experience that a teacher could make or break you, and she wanted to finish her senior year strong. She couldn’t afford to fail a class. After what seemed like eons, Ms. Triton finally handed Emma her schedule. 

 

She quickly looked down and the paper in her hands. First period was art with Ms. Ariel Triton, check. Second period was AP English with Mrs. Ashley Prince. This was another relief, as Mrs. Prince was by far one of the nicest English teachers, and she had just returned from maternity leave, so Emma wouldn’t have to have a sub like first semester did. Third period was AP Government with Mr. Archibald Hopper. Emma didn’t mind Mr. Hopper, though he wasn’t the greatest teacher. She mentally shrugged.  _ It could be worse.  _ Little did she know how right she was. It could be so much worse, and it WAS so much worse. Emma felt her heart catch in her throat as she looked at the next words on the page.

 

Fourth Period - AP Psychology - Ms. Regina Mills - Room A108

 

Emma blinked over and over again, hoping the words would change. AP Psych was her last class of her lass semester of her last year in high school and she couldn’t catch a break? Of course not. Of course she would get the teacher known schoolwide, by students and staff, as the Evil Queen. The blonde shook her head in disbelief.

 

This was going to be a long year.


	2. the rising tide

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> emma and regina come face to face for the first time.

First period continued on as normal. Emma had pushed the negative thoughts about her fourth period class to the back of her head for the time being and centered her focus on the paper in front of her. At first, she had not known what to draw, but she eventually started on a sketch of a field she remembered, as if from a dream. She was by no means a talented artist, she was much more skilled at reading and writing, but she tried her best to get the general idea right. As the end of class approached, she found herself hoping that there would be a lesson in this course on painting or photography, something with with more color. The bell rang and Emma moved to the front of the class, handing in her paper like the rest of the students, before heading to her second period. She was beyond delighted to find that her best friend, Lily, was in the same class.

 

“Oh Em, thank god. I thought I was going to have to endure this torture alone,” the raven haired girl droned as the bell rang and they took their seats. 

 

“Come on, Lil. English isn’t that bad. I know you prefer science, god knows why, but English is easy,” Emma replied, shaking her head and taking out the reading packet that everyone was supposed to complete before the first day of class. The blonde then took a moment to look up at the teacher who was still sitting at her desk. “Plus, Mrs. Prince is so sweet. Just be grateful you don’t have any classes with the Evil Queen.”

 

Lily’s eyes widened immediately with recognition. Everyone knew that title, even if they had never had her in class. Lily was about to respond to Emma, but was silenced Mrs. Prince tapping on her desk and asking everyone to pass up the packet. Instead, she simply shot Emma and apologetic look and mouthed, ‘I’m so sorry.’ Emma chuckled and rolled her eyes at her friend.  _ Yeah, me too,  _ she thought to herself. There wasn’t anymore discussion on the topic during the class period, however, because Mrs. Prince announced that, though she was sorry to have to do it, she was assigning everyone an essay on the book to make sure they had understood it. 

 

Emma flew through the essay, reading it through twice before turning it in and still being the first to do so. She had always excelled in English. Even at her lowest she never struggled in the class. Eventually, the bell rang, and Lily and Emma headed outside. This was their 40 minute free period before a 30 minute lunch period, which meant they had a little over an hour to themselves. And the girls definitely didn’t want to waste any of it cramped inside the school. 

 

“That essay was brutal,” Lily exclaimed, starting into a long winded speech about how English class was pointless as the two made their way out the doors and towards their usual meeting spot under the tree by the benches. Their other friend, Belle, was already there, waiting for them. Belle was only a junior, a grade below Lily and Emma, but the three of them were still as thick as thieves. Belle was a bit of a book worm too, though not as good at writing as Emma, and definitely better at art than the blonde. Though, what Belle really excelled at was history, and she could tell you about it for hours. 

 

“Hey!” Belle waved to Lily and Emma as they approached. Despite the cold weather, the threesome would never miss a chance to take the short walk to Granny’s diner right down the road. It was much less crowded than the cafeteria, and much more cozy. After a few hugs exchanged between the girls, they turned to head toward the diner. They hadn’t gotten more than three steps before they heard someone calling out for them to wait.

 

Make that two someones. Ruby and Aurora were quickly hustling over to the group from across the lawn and both arrived looking slightly flushed.

 

“Can we… come with… you guys… please,” Aurora managed between breaths. Underclassmen weren’t allowed to leave school property without an upperclassman present with them. Emma shook her head at the girls, laughing at their labored breathing.

 

“Of course you can,” Belle replied, beating Emma to the punch. Ruby immediately lit up at Belle’s response and gave the older brunette a hug, thanking her. Emma didn’t miss the blush on Belle’s face.

 

“You’ll never believe who Emma has for class this year,” Lily started as they approached the diner. A chorus of girls asking ‘who’ immediately followed her statement. 

 

“Ms. Mills,” Emma mumbled, answering for Lily before entering the diner. The other girls followed her inside, unable to contain their disbelief.  

 

“The Evil Queen? Oh Emma, you’re screwed,” Ruby said, sitting down in a booth next to Belle. Lily and Emma sat across from them, and Aurora moved a chair to sit at the head of the table.

 

“I hear she’s a real witch. Like, she’ll fail you on purpose just because she feels like it, and it’s impossible to get on her good side,” Aurora added, affirming Ruby’s statement that Emma was, in fact, screwed. 

 

“I had her last year, for Introductory Psychology,” Belle started, “and, Em, I swear to god I have never tried harder in a class. And I still got a bad grade! It is by far the worst I have ever done in a social study. I got a B minus, Em. I read the entire book! That class turned me completely off of psychology. I’m not even taking AP because I’m too afraid of having her as a teacher again.” Emma had put her head in her hands somewhere in the middle of Belle’s rant. She was udderly dreading this class.

 

“You should switch classes before it’s too late,” Belle continued. “That’s what I’m doing anyway. I got stupid Mr. Gold for Accounting first period, so I’m switching into Ms. Triton’s Art Class. That man just gives me the creeps, so I went in to guidance and got myself moved out.” At this, Emme lifted her head.

 

“No way! I’m in that art class! We get to have a class together,” Emma said with a smile. The group continued to talk about their classes over lunch, until they decided to head back to the school. When they reached the gates and were let back in, Aurora began heading in the opposite direction of the group. Emma raised a pointed eyebrow at Ruby, who simply shook her head. Emma recognized some of the people who Aurora had started talking to as football players, the most notable of which was Philip, the star running back for the JV team. At this revelation, Emma couldn’t help but shake her head as well.

 

When they re-entered the building, Ruby questioned Belle as to where she was going, and Belle replied that she was headed to biology. Ruby had offered to walk with her and Belle had agreed, leaving Emma and Lily alone. 

 

“What do you think’s going on with them?” Lily questioned, nodding her head toward the two brunettes walking the opposite direction. Emma just shrugged, though she had a sneaking suspicion of what may be transpiring. Emma was not very open about her sexuality, due to the fact that, in the past, it had only caused her grief with previous foster families, but Ruby had certainly not tried to keep it a secret.

 

After a brief talk about whether or not Dr. Walsh, the Anatomy and Physiology teacher, was having an affair with one of the gym teachers, Lily and Emma went their separate ways. Emma entered her AP Government class and took a seat next to her two male friends, who both happened to be in this class, Neal and Graham. The three of them were carrying on a lively conversation about Mr. Hopper’s weird obsession with dogs when they were ever-so-rudely interrupted by the biggest douchebag in the whole school, Killian Jones. 

 

“Hello, Emma. I see fate has brought us together again,” he said with a wink, nearly making Emma gag. She felt a heavy weight on her chest at the thought of having to spend the rest of the year in this class with him. Killian had asked her on dates so many times in the last two and a half years, she had lost count. He was unbelievable, and he just wouldn’t leave her alone. It didn’t matter how many times she insisted that she wasn’t interested.

 

“Leave her alone, Captain Dickwad,” Graham spat at him. Neal snickered as Killian walked away, but Emma was under no assumption that it would be his last attempt to win her over. 

The rest of AP Gov went by without a hitch, and it wasn’t until Emma was out the door that she remembered where she was heading next. Her stomach did a backflip at the prospect of going to AP Psychology, but she knew she didn’t have a choice. Making her way to A108 seemed like the longest journey ever, and when she finally made it to the classroom, she had already worked herself up. Stepping into the class, however, she was taken aback.

 

When people had joked about the Evil Queen, Emma had pictured an old hag, but the woman standing in front of the classroom now couldn’t be more than twenty-five. She was absolutely stunning. Her legs were clad in a pressed pant, and she was wearing heels that were at least four inches tall. The purple blouse she was wearing hugged her curves perfectly, and the last button on the shirt, Emma noticed, was straining to do its job effectively. Her dark brown hair came down to just above shoulder length, framing her gorgeous face. Emma stared at flawlessly tan skin and plum lips, before allowing her emerald eyes to trail up the teacher’s face and lock with the pair of chocolate brown eyes she found staring back at her.

 

“Are you lost, dear?” Ms. Mills questioned, in a teasing tone. Emma felt a blush creep across her face as she shook her head and made her way to her seat.  _ Great first impression, Swan. Ogling your teacher otta really get you places in life,  _ she reprimanded herself. The only seat left was in the front of the classroom, next to the teacher’s desk, and Emma mentally slapped herself on the wrist for not getting to class sooner. She sat down anyway and looked at the sheet of paper in front of her. Her eyes widened at the questions that stared back at her.  _ A test on the first day of class? Christ almighty, this is going to be painful,  _ she thought grimly. 

 

Emma handed her test in toward the end of the period. It hadn’t been nearly as hard as she had predicted, but she definitely hadn’t gotten an A. She sighed and sat back down, once again finding herself staring at her teacher. The blonde watched as the brunette’s face scrunched up while grading papers and admired the little tug at the side of her mouth, pulling it into a gentle smile. She was so lost in her own thoughts about her teacher that she didn’t notice the final bell had rung until almost the entire class had left the room. At this revelation, Emma scrambled to put her things back into her her bookbag before the last person left, but she was too late. The last thing she needed was to be left alone in a room with the Evil Queen; she was not in the mood to be scolded. In her rush, however, she was too busy focusing on getting her bag on her back and getting out the door to notice the desk right in front of her. Before she could blink twice, Emma tripped and crashed directly into the tile floor with a yelp. In a flash, her goddess of a teacher was right above her, looking down with a face full of genuine concern.

 

“Are you alright, Miss…” Regina trailed off at the end of her sentence, realizing that she did not yet know the blonde’s name.

 

“Emma… Swan, and yeah, I’m fine,” the blonde lied, wanting to leave as soon as humanly possible. When she moved to get up, however, her body betrayed her and she couldn’t help but to let out a small groan. Regina could clearly tell that the girl was lying, but didn’t say anything about it. Instead the brunette simply gripped onto the blonde's hand to prevent her from falling again. The touch was innocent enough, but both women were taken aback by the warmth they felt. Emma was the first to pull back, mumbling again that she was fine.

 

“Okay Miss Swan. Have a nice day,” the teacher said as Emma exited the classroom, leaving the psychology teacher a bit flabbergasted. It took Regina a whole minute to realize that she had forgotten to breathe.

 

Emma’s heart was pounding in her chest as she made her way through the hallways, as quickly as she could with the throbbing in her ankle and hip. Butterflies swarmed in her stomach, and she couldn’t for the life of her catch her breath. Something about the way that chocolate eyes stared down at her, or the way that their hands fit perfectly together, made Emma feel like she was about to be sick. Sure, her teacher was beautiful; the blonde had spent a quarter of the class staring at her. But that alone did not account for the way Emma was feeling. Thoughts swirled inside a head of golden hair. 

 

_ Oh my god. You have a crush on your teacher, you dimwit. You have a crush on the Evil Queen. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> once again, any and all responses are welcome!!  
> constructive criticism, correction, complements; I could use all of it!
> 
> see you next sunday :)


	3. the river flows

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> emma tries to figure out her new feelings, or repress them, either one. the two women meet again in an unexpected place.

The yellow door slammed shut, silencing whatever conversation had been happening in the backseat. The two younger high schoolers looked up at the blonde, both giving her questioning looks, but Emma just ignored them and started the car. The two younger girls returned to their discussion, whispering and giggling in the back of the bug. On any other day, Emma would have made it a point to immediately get to the bottom of whatever it was the girls were talking about. Today, however, her mind was clouded with thoughts of a certain, brunette psychology teacher as she made the drive to the middle school. She didn’t even blink when August opened the passenger side door and slid into car.

 

“What’s up with her?” the thirteen-year-old question, nodding his head pointedly at the blonde driving the car. The two girls in the backseat merely shrugged and shook their heads, unable to give him an answer. It wasn’t often anymore that Emma was this distant from them.

 

When the yellow bug finally pulled into the driveway of the small, two story house they all called home, everyone made a move to get of the car except the blonde. She sat in her seat for a moment after the other three teenagers had already made their way inside the house. The blonde just needed a second to calm her nerves and gather her thoughts. Her mind drifted to a distant time, where a little golden haired girl sat in an orphanage alone, and her thoughts traveled the book of nursery rhymes read to the girl by one of the older children when nightmares kept them awake. One rhyme in particular played on repeat in her mind:

 

Swan swam over the sea,   
Swim, swan, swim!   
Swan swam back again,   
Well swum, swan!

 

At this memory, Emma instinctively reached up and wrapped her fingers around the necklace, which bore an image of a swan. She felt a tear threaten to escape, and pushed the thoughts of her past back down into the locked box where they belong. She tucked the necklace back into her shirt, got up and shut the car door, leaving the memories of how Emma Swan came to be behind her as she made her way into the house. 

 

She wracked her brain for anything to do to take her mind off of the events of the day while she walked upstairs and, unfortunately, the only thing she could come up with was her homework. With a huff, Emma sat down on her mattress and pulled out her homework for the day. She duly noticed that Ruby and Aurora were both up on the younger girl’s bed, still in whispered conversation, and made a mental note to confront them about it later. For now, she attempted to focus on the work in front of her. She quickly finished the AP Government notes that she had been assigned and completed the literary terms sheet that Mrs. Prince had given her English class. She was about to start the reading for AP Psych when Henry and Roland entered the room. 

 

“Ems can we please go to the park,” Roland begged with pleading eyes. She glanced at Henry who had the same look. She knew they loved the park, but she wasn't really sure that she was up to it. Emma was about to tell them no when August, who she hadn’t even known was on the bunk above her, spoke up.

 

“Can we please? I think some of my friends are going to be there playing baseball.” The red-headed boy looked down at her from the top bunk, and she just couldn’t say no. He had struggled with making friends these past few years. It was the least she could do to take him, and the other boys, to the park.

 

“Alright, fine. Get in the car.” Emma watched them all scurry out the door before turning and grabbing her psychology book. If she was going to the park, she figured that she may as well get some homework done while she was there. Her green eyes traveled up to the two girls, still deep in conversation. “Are you two going to be okay by yourselves? Mary Margaret should be home soon.”

 

The girls insisted that they would be perfectly fine, so Emma went downstairs. She grabbed hats and gloves for the boys, who she knew, without a doubt, had only put on their jackets. She also picked up some snacks for them, knowing that they would probably get hungry. The blonde then made her way to the car. 

 

The drive to the park was uneventful. When they arrived, Emma distributed hats and gloves to the boys, as well as donning her own black coat, black gloves and grey beanie. She watched as August ran to meet up with his friends on the baseball field while Henry and Roland raced to the playground. She couldn’t help the smile she felt spread across her face. Emma watched them for a few more minutes, making sure they were safe, before sitting down on a bench and opening her psychology textbook, flipping to the pages she was supposed to read for homework. Her mind quickly drifted, however, from the theories of personality described on the page to the events that occurred in the classroom today.

Emma couldn’t help but scold herself again for getting so distracted by her teacher. If it hadn’t been for her staring at the teacher, she would have made it out of the classroom without making a fool of herself and, maybe, she could have gotten some of this reading done in class.  _ Focus, Emma,  _ she told herself. But, despite her best efforts, she found herself struggling to read the words on the page. The blonde looked up, eying the two young boys on the playset and deciding that she could afford to take a break and play with them. She closed her book, sitting it on the bench beside her, and stood up to go over to the playground. She was immediately stopped though, as she stood up directly into another person who had been walking by.

 

“Oh my god! I am so sorry. I was not looking where I was going. Are you o-” The blonde was stopped mid sentence as she finally looked up at person she had run into. 

 

“You should really watch where you are going. You could hurt some-” Regina too, lost her words when she made eye contact with the blonde. The two women stood in silence for a moment before Regina cleared her throat. “Miss Swan! How are you?”

 

“I’m doing alright. How are you Ms. Mills?” Emma let out a breath, relieved that the older woman wasn’t mad at her.

 

“I’m well. It’s good to see that at least one of my students is doing their assigned reading.” The teacher said, nodding to the book lying on the bench. 

 

Emma smiled at this, though she was sure that every student in that class was doing the reading. They stood for another moment, just enjoying each other’s company, before Emma remembered where she was. She glanced over at the playground, checking on the boys.

 

“Are you babysitting?” Regina followed her gaze, taking note of the two brunette children on the monkey bars. Her immediate thought had been that Emma was their older sibling, but the age difference was too striking. Not to mention that the boys really looked nothing like the blonde.

 

“Sort of. They are my brothers. Well, foster brothers actually. So is August, playing baseball over there. They all wanted to come to the park so I brought them.” Emma shrugged. Being a foster child was something that nearly everyone knew about her. It was a vital part of who she was. But, for some reason, sharing the detail with the woman next to her seemed intimate.

 

Regina kept her face straight, but inside she was more than a little surprised. It wasn’t often that one came across a foster family in Storybrooke. The town was relatively small, and there were not many cases of children without parents. So, the brunette concluded that Emma and her foster siblings were not from this town, making her wonder how long it had been since the blonde had moved here. Regina also concluded that Emma must be living with the Nolan’s, since they were the only foster family she knew of. 

 

Regina despised Mary Margaret. The third grade teacher was absolutely obnoxious at staff meetings and always tried to take over any teacher run activities. She couldn’t stand the woman’s incessant positivity or cavity inducing sweetness, but in this moment, she felt grateful that the woman had started her foster family. Maybe her overwhelming energy was good for something after all, if it had helped Emma.

 

Neither woman realized how long they had been standing together in comfortable quiet, until Roland ran up to Emma, his face pink from the cold, asking if they could go soon. 

 

“Go tell Henry and August that we're leaving soon.” Emma nodded to Roland and the boy ran off to get his foster brothers. The blonde then turned to her teacher and raised a questioning eyebrow. She knew it wasn't appropriate, but she couldn't help herself. “I was going to take the boys to Granny’s and get some hot cocoa. Would you like to come? If you're not busy of course.” 

 

Regina noticed the blonde woman's flushed cheeks and knew that she had to make a choice. In all honestly, the diner had been where she was headed to begin with. It was a nice place to get coffee and get some work done. Now, however, she worried that it was not becoming of a teacher, especially considering that she couldn't deny that she found the girl attractive. Unfortunately for professionalism, Regina hardly ever did what others expected of her. “That sounds lovely.”

 

“Great!” Emma’s eyes lit up. She couldn't believe the other woman had said yes. She snatched up her textbook and waved to the boys running over. She and Regina then walked behind the boys, who raced towards the diner. The unlikely crew was a sight to be seen, making the two block trek. 

 

Once inside, everyone took of their winter coats, the boys making a beeline for the waitress. Emma took her time, watching the Regina as she took off her long coat. She felt her heart flutter at the sight in front of her. The brunette was still wearing the purple blouse from earlier, but now, instead of slacks, she wore a pair of tight fitting jeans. Emma noticed that she was also wearing black boots, making her much shorter than she had been earlier in her heels. 

 

There was almost no one at the diner, the cold seemingly to have got the best of the townsfolk. The three boys took their drinks to the small arcade in the back room, while the two women sat at the counter, Emma ordering a hot cocoa with cinnamon and Regina ordering a coffee. 

 

“So,” Regina spoke up, taking a sip of her drink, “I hope you aren’t one of those kids who take my class expecting to pad their gpa. If so, I’m afraid I have some bad news for you Miss Swan. My class is no walk in the park.” The brunette had a little sparkle in her eye. She knew already that her student wasn’t simply looking for and easy A. If that was the case, the blonde would never have had the textbook with her.

 

“No!” Emma responded a little too quickly before taking a beat. “I’m not a slacker; I knew that your class would be hard. I wouldn’t have taken it if I wasn’t willing to work.” The blonde was about to elaborate more when she caught the slight smirk on the brunette’s lips. She couldn’t help the warm feeling that that little smirk spread through her. A blush crept its way across her face and she prayed the older woman would read it as embarrassment over the conversation. She honestly felt like a completely different Emma Swan than the one that, just this morning, had been scared of the so-called Evil Queen.

 

Regina fought the thoughts that entered her mind when she saw her student’s blush. Instead, she focused on the coffee in her hands. The older woman knew all too well about her notorious reputation as the Evil Queen, and to be honest, it wasn’t the worst thing she had ever been called. The name earned her fear and obedience from her students and respect from her colleges. However, the reputation hadn’t exactly made her any friends, which is why she couldn’t figure out why Emma was being so nice to her.  _ She is probably just scared of you Regina. She’s just being nice so you will give her a good grade,  _ the brunette thought to herself, though she knew even as the thought entered her mind that it wasn’t true.

 

The two women smiled at each other lightly, both wondering what the other was thinking. Emma was about to ask her teacher why she went into the field of psychology, when the bell on the diner door caught her attention. She reluctantly turned away from the captivating brunette to check that none of the boys had left the diner without her permission. What she saw, however, was much worse than a runaway kid. She instantly tensed at the sight of who stood in the doorway.

 

“Killian.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> your continuing feedback is much appreciated! <3


	4. a cold wind blows

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Regina and Emma deal with an obnoxious Killian, as well as their own feelings.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you all for reading!!! I appreciate every bit of feedback you give me :)
> 
> edit; I'm so so sorry but I have to inform you all that this sunday, september 17, I will have to take off due to a heavy work schedule. but I will see you all on the 24th for the next chapter!

Regina instantly noticed the change in composure of the woman next to her, and followed the blonde’s eyeline to the boy standing in the doorway, taking off his coat. She instantly recognized him as being from one of her introductory classes last year. He had made highly inappropriate comments about her in front of the class, and she had made his life a living hell. It had been an endless series of detentions and failed tests until the boy had dropped the class all together. She supposed the fact that she was a, as he so had eloquently put, “peice of ass” was not enough to stick around and fail. Not having him in her class had been a slight relief, as he had been a thorn in her side. However, she sensed that for Emma, he was much more than a little thorn. 

 

“Fucking shit,” the blonde mumbled to herself before realizing who she was with. Emerald eyes widened and looked over into dark brown ones. “Please excuse my language Ms. Mills. I didn’t mean to curse in front of you I just really fucking hate that guy.”

 

“Killian Jones?” Regina questioned. “Why?”

 

Emma was about to respond when she heard the douche’s slimy voice calling out her name. The blonde turned to face the asshole. “What do you want Killian?” she asked pleading to whatever gods existed that he would just say hello and walk away. Though, she knew that would never happen.

 

He smirked a disgusting smirk and Emma felt bile rise in her stomach. “You know exactly what I want, love,” he replied, grabbing onto her chin with his hand and raising her face to his. “You.” 

 

Emma promptly spit in his eye. She was honestly sick and tired of dealing with Killian’s shit and even though deep down she knew he wouldn’t ever leave her be, it still felt good to spit in his face. “Fuck off,” she said matter of factly. 

 

Killian was obviously infiriorated. “Fuck you, bitch,” he said angrily, instantly raising his right arm to backhand the blonde across the face. He was about to do it too when a voice stopped him.

 

“That’s enough, Mr. Jones,” Regina said firmly, venom dripping from her words. She had originally been a bit shell shocked at the boy's actions, but when he had gone to hit Emma, the brunette had snapped. She wasn’t about to let the blonde get hurt. Why she felt so passionately about the girl was an unanswered question that the teacher promptly ignored.

 

Killian hadn’t been paying enough attention to recognize the woman sitting next to Emma, but he sure as hell did now. His anger doubled and he felt both of his fists clench at his sides. “Oh how lovely, the Evil Queen is here too. Oh! And are you two… together? HA! It’s too perfect. The Evil Queen and the Swan Princess. I should have guessed the reason you were resisting my charms was because you had been seduced by someone else. It’s just unfortunate that it was a filthy lesbian. But don’t worry, Swan, I’ll fix you.” He finished his rant, never breaking eye contact with Emma. The blonde felt a shudder of fear run through her bones at his words. He then promptly turned on his heels and exited the way he had come in.

 

When he was gone, the younger woman still didn’t feel much better. A tear threatened to escape an emerald eye, but Emma wouldn’t let it. She couldn’t believe what she had just heard. Well, she could believe it, she just couldn’t believe Killian had said it all in front of a teacher. Emma’s heart quickened.  _ Oh, shit. _

 

“Oh my god, I am so sorry Ms. Mills. You shouldn’t have had to hear all that. I didn’t mean for you to get-” Emma was halfway to a full on panic when Regina interrupted her.

 

“Please. It’s not your fault. You are not responsible for his actions or words,” the brunette said matter-of-factly. 

 

“But he called you a-”

 

“I know what he called me, Miss Swan. Unfortunately for him, I don’t have the time to care about the opinions of every teenaged boy, especially not the opinions of jackasses.”

 

The word jackasses sounded a lot funnier when it came out of her teacher's mouth, and despite the situation, Emma couldn’t help but to burst into a fit of giggles. At first, Regina didn’t really get what was so funny, but she found the blondes laugh absolutely adorable, not to mention contagious. 

 

The two women laughed until they were out of air, and then they laughed some more. By the time they were done, both teacher and student were gripping at their sides. Green eyes met brown and communicated more than words could ever say. Neither woman would care to admit how long it had been since they laughed like that.

 

“How long have you been dealing with that boy Emma?” the brunette questioned softly, wanting to know more not only about the situation but about the girl herself.

 

“I don’t know. Over two years. Since I moved to this school district,” Emma replied, shrugging.

 

Regina frowned, noting the blonde’s sadness underneath her words. Regina could tell, even without her psychology major, that Killian’s words had really bothered Emma. “You know, I was serious earlier, right? None of what he said matters. It isn’t true.”

 

“What if it is,” Emma said, looking up at her teacher and shifting uncomfortably in her seat. She didn’t know what had come over her, whether it was Killian’s cutting words or her teacher’s understanding stare, but she couldn't hold it in any longer. “What if I am a ‘filthy lesbian’?”

 

Memories of foster families shaming her for her sexuality or kicking her out of the house when they found out flooded her memory. The worst had been when she was fourteen and her foster father caught her kissing a girl in the backyard. He had scared the redhead away with his belt and then proceed to beat Emma senseless with it. Emma didn’t really believe she was filthy, but everyone certainly treated her that way. And she was sure that the brunette would too. So, she waited for Regina to look at her with disgust, to get up and walk away.

 

Regina had no idea what to say. She wasn’t about to come out to her student, or at least, she thought she wasn’t. The truth was, the brunette had had her fair share of hatred for her sexuality. Her mother had kicked her out as a teen for refusing to date boys, and then she’d had a huge falling out with her half sister. She didn’t tell people at work that she was not straight because she was afraid. She couldn’t afford to lose her job. It was all she had left. But right now, all that mattered to Regina was the girl sitting in front of her. “You are not filthy dear, no matter your sexual preference,” she tried. 

 

The blonde almost didn’t believe her ears. It didn’t seem possible for a straight person to actually be open minded for once. Though, she felt a great weight lifted off her shoulders that Regina hadn’t been disgusted and left. She couldn’t bring herself to face the woman next to her, for fear that she would break down into a sobbing heap. The last thing Emma wanted was to be seen as weak. So, she stared into her almost empty cocoa mug instead, examining it as if it held the all of answers. 

 

Regina sighed. She couldn't believe she was about to just spill the beans on herself in a diner in order to comfort a student she had met less than twenty-four hours ago. “In fact, as someone who prefers women, I can assure you that Mr. Jones is very wrong in his assumptions. If anyone involved in that incident was filthy, it was most certainly him.”

 

Emma Swan almost pinched herself to make sure this wasn’t a dream.  _ Regina Mills isn’t straight!!!  _ Little alarms went off in the young girl’s head. The beautiful woman, she had a crush on was actually  not straight. And then the bells stopped ringing.  _ She’s your teacher you noob. Pull yourself together and stop having totally inappropriate thoughts. _

 

“Thank you, Ms. Mills,” the blonde conceded with a light smile. There was a beat of silence before Emma made eye contact with her teacher and continued talking, despite the fact that her brain was practically begging her not to. “When did you know?”

 

“What?” Regina was a bit lost by the seemingly random question.

 

“When did you know that you were…” Emma started again before realizing that the brunette had never actually specified her sexuality.

 

“..gay?” Regina finished Emma’s question before answering it. “I suppose I’ve always had an inkling, but I officially came out to my mother when I was eighteen. She kicked me out three weeks before graduation and I never saw her again.”

 

Emma’s heart broke at the pain in her teacher’s eyes. The blonde was unsure of what to do, so she just spewed out information. “I’ve been kicked out of homes before too. Three times actually. I guess some people just aren’t very accepting.”

 

Regina could empathize with the young girl. She never would have guessed that the clumsy, absent minded blonde in her fourth period had more layers than all the rest of her students combined. The brunette felt a need to comfort the girl, so she placed her hand on top of Emma’s. 

 

Emma couldn’t help the butterflies that took off inside of her. She felt wrong for wanting her teacher to touch more than just her hand. Her deep green eyes looked up at the brunette. “Thank you, Ms. Mills,” she said.

 

Regina had been lost in a sea of emerald green eyes when Emma’s voice pulled her to shore. It was then that she noticed her hand had been on the blonde’s for much too long, so she reluctantly pulled away. “Please, when we aren’t in school, call me Regina.” 

 

“Okay, Regina,” Emma replied, making sure to enunciate every syllable.  A goofy smile played on her lips. It was then that the boys ran out of the back room, begging for more quarters for the ping pong machine. Their pleading making Emma chuckle, but it also made her realize how late it had gotten. 

 

“No, no, no,” Emma said, attempting to get them to settle down. “We need to head back soon. Why don’t you kiddos put your coats on and grab your stuff?” Their complaints were duly noted as the blonde pushed them back towards the back room, where their things were. When they were out of earshot, the blonde turned back to the gorgeous brunette next to her. Emma didn’t know what came over her, but words just flew out of her mouth before she could stop them.

 

“I don’t know how anyone could ever call you Evil Queen,” Emma blurted.

 

Regina couldn’t help the smile that spread across her face. It warmed her heart that someone really didn’t see her as anything but who she was, that someone saw past her mask.

 

“It’s not so bad. I actually enjoy the reputation. Sometimes it can be helpful to have people afraid of you,” the brunette responded after a moment.

 

Emma giggled.  _ Giggling, Swan? Really? You are not a lovesick puppy.  _ But the woman in front of her made her feel and think things she never had before. If Regina was the Evil Queen, Emma had certainly fallen under her spell. And she loved it.

 

The boys reappeared and made their way to the door, slipping on their coats and telling Emma to hurry up. Both woman laughed a little at the energy that the children held.  The student and teacher stood, and moved to put on their coats, neither really wanting to leave.

“See you tomorrow, Your Majesty,” Emma said to Regina with a wink.

 

“See you tomorrow, Miss Swan,” she responded with a chuckle, her heart quickening slightly.

 

“Please, outside of school, it’s Emma,” the blonde said, waving goodbye.

  
Regina watched her walk away, accompanied by the trio of boys. She then turned and began to walk home, the smile on her face never leaving. She replayed the whole night over and over, the beautiful blonde’s final words echoing in her head. _ Emma.  _


	5. a rumble in the distance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emma has a bit of a rough day at school, but all that might change thanks to a certain brunette.

Regina stepped towards Emma, leaning over the desk with a smirk plastered on her lips. No one else was in the room. The blonde could feel her heart racing as the woman inched closer, whispering in her ear. It was what she had said that made Emma shudder.

 

“Do you like this, Emma,” the teacher whispered, hot breathe on the younger woman’s neck. The sound of her own name making the blonde shudder.

 

“Yes. Oh my god…” she replied, leaning in towards the woman.

 

“God is very flattering, but I prefer you address me as, Your Majesty.”

 

“Yes, My Majesty...” Emma nearly moaned.

 

Regina smirked, dipping her head down to the girls. Their lips were inches apart, and Emma could feel the lust welling up inside her, when the bell rang. The two women immediately pulled apart. Emma was furious with the bell for interrupting whatever was about to happen The noise emitting from the speakers was so loud, and it wouldn’t stop. Come to think of it, the bell didn’t really sound like a bell at all. It didn’t really sound like a fire alarm either. The blonde was perplexed at the noise, which she now wasn’t even sure was coming from the speakers. The ring was so familiar it almost sounded like… her alarm.

 

Emma’s eyes shot straight open as she realized exactly where she was. Not it a classroom, thats for sure. And not with her gorgeous teacher, that’s for sure. She let out a long sigh and attempted to rub the sleep from her eyes, the ache between her legs making her hyperaware of how  not  real her dream was.  _ ‘Of course it was a dream, idiot. Why would someone like Regina ever choose to be with someone like you.’ _

 

Emma rolled out of bed.

 

________________________

 

Regina was not one tell you what she was thinking. If you asked, she would probably have said the only thing on her mind was schoolwork. But the only thing on her mind had been Emma Swan. She hadn’t slept well at all last night, replaying their entire interaction in her mind and planning how she would act tomorrow.

 

It was clear to Regina that something about the blonde made her want more, and while she wouldn’t admit to having feelings, she was definitely enamored by the girl, which was absolutely not allowed. 

 

Regina stood, moving slowly around her quiet house. She had felt lonely and alone in the mansion many times since moving in, sometimes even with other people there, but never quite as much so as last night.

 

The teacher didn’t want to think about what these emotions meant, so she pushed them down, attempting to ignore them. However, not before impulsively scribbling something down in red ink on the back of a test that had “Emma Swan” written in the top left corner.

 

________________________

 

The first half of the day had been a breeze. Art was easy, though Emma was admittedly not very good at it. Ms. Triton seemed very understanding that everyone was at different skill levels, and Emma was grateful for that.

 

AP English was no walk in the park, but Emma had enjoyed the summer reading and talking about it in class hadn’t been an issue. Mrs. Prince agreed with her on many of her opinions on the reading, which made her hopeful that she had understood the reading. Emma just hoped her understanding was reflected in the essay scores they would get back tomorrow. Lily, however, was not so content, making her annoyance known as the two girls walked out of the classroom.

 

“I just don’t get it,” the raven-haired teen insisted. “I don’t see what you see, Em. It’s just a story about a woman who drowns herself. How the hell do you get sexual repression and gender roles from that?” The blonde laughed at her friend’s frustration. Lily was too science and math minded for her own good. 

 

“You have to look beyond the surface, Lil. Sometimes things are more than what they seem,” Emma responded, her mind drifted to a certain brunette teacher.

 

Lily just shook her head as the pair made their way outside to the meeting place, where Ruby and Belle were already waiting. Emme eyed the two girls, who were laughing at something, before turning back to Lily with her eyebrow raised.

 

“Hey!” Belle exclaimed, catching the sight of Emma and Lily out of the corner of her eye and quickly ending whatever previous conversation had been going on. Emma noticed the slight blush creeping up the bookworms cheeks. The blonde threw a knowing look at Ruby, making a mental note to confront the younger girl about these antics later. At the moment, however, she focused on the absence of her other foster sister.

 

“Where’s Aurora?” Emma questioned. 

 

“Oh, she’s ditching us to eat lunch with Philip,” Ruby responded, adding extra emphasis to the football player’s name.

 

The quartet all laughed at both Ruby’s dramatics and Aurora’s new crush as they began to make their way to Granny’s. 

 

“So, Em, how was your first day under the rule of the Evil Queen yesterday?” Belle joked, looking over at her blonde friend.

 

Flashes from Emma’s dream of the brunette teacher danced in her head.  It took all of the her willpower not to turn completely red at the memories. Emma took a deep breath before responding.

 

“She’s really not so bad, Belle. I don’t understand why everyone is so hard on her.” Emam said.Belle squinted her eyes as if to evaluate Emma and her response. Lily, too, seemed surprised at this revelation.

 

“You’ll change your mind once you get your first test back,” Bell concluded after a few moments.

 

The girls ate in comfortable silence, only interrupted a few times by Ruby saying something to Belle. Emma’s thoughts were mostly consumed with the fact that she was going to be in the same classroom as Regina in less than two hours. Her heart skipped a beat everytime she thought about the brunette, and she couldn’t help her thoughts from wandering. She replayed her dream in her head a few times and found herself wondering what it would be like to really kiss the older woman. She assumed Regina would take charge, after all, she is a strong woman, but Emma also imagined that her lips were soft and enticing. 

 

_ ‘Christ, Emma, what are you doing. She’s your teacher,’  _ Emma thought to herself, but she wasn’t really feeling to guilty.

 

On the walk back to the school, Lily turned towards her blonde friend with a questioning look. “You’ve been awful quiet today, Em. Is everything okay?” she asked, her voice laced with genuine concern, something she didn’t have for just anybody.

 

“I’m fine, Lil. Just thinking,” Emma smiled at her friend.

 

“Thinking about what?” Lily prodded, a grin spreading across her face with a revelation. “Or who?” Emma’s cheeks became immediately flushed at the insinuation.

 

“Nothing really. Just school,” she responded. It wasn’t totally a lie.

 

“Mhmm. Sure. I blush when people ask me about school too,” Lily smirked at her friend. 

 

Emma felt like she couldn’t breath, making an excuse to leave the three girls and go to class. Due to Emma’s hurry to get out of her conversation with Lily, she was now early to her next class. The first bell hadn’t rung yet. She was so flabbergasted that she wasn’t at all paying attention to her surroundings, until it was too late. Killian stood in the doorway, intentionally blocking Emma’s pathway into the AP Gov. classroom. 

 

“Get out of my way, Killian,” she said firmly, fed up with the boy in front of her.

 

“Sorry, love. No can do.” His husky voice was sickening to her; she tried her best not to gag.

 

“Move!” Emma attempted to push him out of the way, but he simply grabbed onto both of her shoulders, shoving her against a row of lockers and causing her to let out a shriek of pain.

 

“You don’t get to tell me what to do,” he whispered in her ear. His body was pressed up against hers as he spoke, and she could feel the bile rising in her throat at his every word. She closed her eyes. 

 

Emma was about to scream when suddenly, the pressure on her body was gone. Opening her eyes, she found Graham and Neal standing before her. Relief flooded her body and she watched her two male friends shove Killian back and forth between each other.

 

“I thought we said leave the lady alone, dickwad. Your lucky we don’t beat you up right here,” Graham said, shoving Killian at Neal.

 

“Yeah, you won’t be so lucky next time,” Neal added, shoving him back to Graham. 

 

The bell rang and all four headed into the classroom. Killian kept his head down and kept quiet for the rest of the period. Emma knew, however, that it was only because he had been outnumbered. She thanked her friends, but the two boys insisted it was nothing.

 

By the time Emma had arrived to her AP Psychology classroom, she was mentally exhausted. She took her seat from yesterday without thinking much about it, and placed her head down on her desk. At the sound of heels clicking into the classroom, however, her head snapped upright.

 

Regina had chosen to wear her favorite blue dress today. She had told herself when putting it on, that she was just wearing it because she liked it, but deep down, she had an inkling that a certain blonde student might enjoy the way it hugged her body and displayed her clavicle.

 

The teacher had been correct in her assumption, as Emma had to check herself to stop from drooling. For the entirety of the lesson, the blonde couldn't help but let her eyes wander from time to time. One of these times, Regina caught her. 

 

During class discussion about the, Regina made her way over to her seat. She spoke in a low voice so only Emma, sitting right next to her desk, could hear. 

 

“See something you like, Miss Swan?” she questioned, never lifting her eyes from her paperwork. Emma nearly passed out.

 

The rest of the period, Emma did her best to focus on the coursework, though it was admittedly hard. As the bell was about to ring, Regina began to hand out the graded tests from yesterday.

 

“I’m a little disappointed in these test scores,” the teacher spoke. “I expected more from AP students. Check the back for notes on your scores. Some of you will need to come see me in study hall.”

 

Emma braced for impact when she received her test, but was surprised at what she saw. A B+. ‘ _ Not too shabby, swan,’  _ she thought. It was then that she flipped to the last page, to check if she had any notes. The blonde almost couldn't believe her eyes as she read message transcribed in red ink.

 

‘Meet me in my room after class. -Regina’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for the wait on this chapter, but I really hope you enjoy it!! please, let me know what you think :)


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